


Tape to Tape

by CoffeeWithConsequences



Series: 82 Games [8]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Sweet, Tyler Seguin's Body Issue, posing naked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 17:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18348542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeWithConsequences/pseuds/CoffeeWithConsequences
Summary: “Wait, wait!” Lardo sat up, looking around as if someone had stolen something. “We forgot to tell Jack about the gay porn and naked Bitty!”“Oh Lord, Lardo,” Bitty groaned and leaned into Jack’s side. “You make it sound dirty.”Jack looked at Bitty with raised eyebrows. “I definitely need to hear that.”Shitty didn’t sit up, but turned his head. “I do, too.” He raised his arm in a dramatic flourish. “Ms. Duan, your tale?”





	Tape to Tape

**Author's Note:**

> This silly installment of [82 Games](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1118901) series brought to you by my rambling thoughts about the real-life NHL. And also Tyler Seguin's Body Issue. Chronologically, it comes sometime after [Crash the Crease](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17452214).

It was so late it was early, and all four of them were on Jack’s living room floor, giggling. Jack was going to regret being up so late, even if tomorrow was an off day, but it was worth it. Shitty and Lardo had given up on the vape. They were both high off their asses, lying side by side, staring at the ceiling. Bitty kept scrunching up his nose when he laughed. Jack’s chest and face hurt from the joy of having them in his house.

“Wait, wait!” Lardo sat up, looking around as if someone had stolen something. “We forgot to tell Jack about the gay porn and naked Bitty!”

“Oh Lord, Lardo,” Bitty groaned and leaned into Jack’s side. “You make it sound dirty.”

Jack looked at Bitty with raised eyebrows. “I definitely need to hear that.”

Shitty didn’t sit up, but turned his head. “I do, too.” He raised his arm in a dramatic flourish. “Ms. Duan, your tale?”

* * *

Lardo didn’t mean to skip figure drawing. She just got invested in this big trash sculpture thing she was working on and completely lost track of time. Which led to two frustrating hours spent trying to draw from images she found online. Which led to sitting in the kitchen, whining to Holster.

“Drawing from an online image is impossible! The light just isn’t right. When you draw from a paper photograph, at least you can kind of move it around!” She scowled. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “PORN! I need porn.”

Holster chuckled. “Who doesn’t?”

Ransom walked into the room, his eyes wide. “Did you say you need porn?”

Lardo nodded enthusiastically. “Do either of you have any gay porn? Magazines, not websites.”

Ransom and Holster looked at each other. “Um...no? Who has magazines? Lardo, do you know what year it is?”

Lardo frowned. “Some friends you are.” She hopped off the counter where she was sitting. “I’m going to go ask Bits.”

Bitty’s gasp was audible all the way down the stairs. “I most certainly do not!” He shook his head. “And really, Lardo, who has magazines anymore?”

“That’s what Rans and Holster said,” Lardo admitted. “But drawing from online doesn’t work. And I have to get some progress made before tomorrow, or the professor is gonna make a big thing of me missing class.”

“Hmmm…” Bitty thought a minute. “I know! How about this?” He rummaged around on his desk, coming up with a copy of ESPN Magazine. There was a gorgeous, naked man on the cover.

“Is that the Body Issue?” Lardo asked.

Bitty nodded.

Lardo laughed. “Bits, why do you have that?”

Bitty fixed Lardo with A Look. “The color on the Seguin pictures is off online.” He handed her the magazine. “Go. Draw.”

* * *

 

Jack interrupted at this point, his face contorted with laughter. “You just had the Seguin Body Issue lying around, huh?”

Mortified, Bitty hid his face in Jack’s side. “Yes?” He looked up with red cheeks and wide eyes. “I mean, the Haus has a subscription. It’s not like I bought it.”

All three of the others cracked up. “What were the articles in that issue about, Bits?” Shitty asked. “Anything good?”

* * *

 

An hour later, Lardo was back in Bitty’s doorway. “It’s not WORKING!” Her fingers were smudged with charcoal. “Even with moving the pages around, the shadows just aren’t right, and the pictures all have weird lighting. I need something more natural.” She sighed and flopped onto Bitty’s bed dramatically. “What am I gonna do?”

Bitty smiled sympathetically. “You could always ask one of the boys to model for you.”

Lardo frowned. “I think that might be weird? I mean, I’d ask Ransom or Holster, but they’re both out. And the rest of them are...younger? I don’t want them to feel harassed.” She smiled. “But hey, what about you? You wouldn’t feel harassed, right? She sat up and stuck her bottom lip out. “Bits, would you please, please bail me out and pose for me? Just for like an hour?”

Bitty reddened slightly, but squared his shoulders. “If it’s important, then yeah. I mean, what harm could it do, right?”

* * *

 

Jack wasn’t laughing anymore, but his eyes were still wide. “Really? You let Lardo draw you naked?” He looked at Bitty with surprise. “That’s awesome.”

Lardo nodded with satisfaction. “It was awesome. A bro helping a bro out.” She reached for her backpack and pulled out her battered black sketchbook, flipping pages until she found what she wanted and thrusting it at Jack. “See?”

The sketches were mostly just little pieces of body--the curve of Bitty’s shoulder, his leg from ankle to knee. The most complete one showed the side of his body, from ribs to just below the hip. That one was detailed, sparse hair hinted at his navel, his torso slightly turned. Jack recognized not the form so much as the posture.

“Honestly, they’re still not what I need,” Lardo said, taking the book back. “Love you, Bits, but you don’t have superhero muscles.”

“Wait, superhero muscles?” Jack shook his head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

Lardo idly flipped through her book as she explained. “I’m trying to do this comic project, and I need a form for a Superman type--you know, big, defined muscles. Which is why I was looking for porn to begin with. I thought maybe I could extrapolate, but Bits just does not have that kind of body.”

Bitty shook his head. “You so someone a favor, and all you get is criticism for not being swole.”

“Your body is perfect, Bits,” Jack said immediately.

When Lardo and Shitty were done making dramatic gagging noises, she continued. “You know it’s not criticism. I tried to draw Shitty for it, too, but he’s even farther from the mark than you are. At least you’re wiry.”

Shitty grunted from the floor. “You don’t love me for my body,” he said.

Lardo didn’t disagree. “So I have to find someone else,” she said. “But I don’t really know any meatheads.”

Suddenly, Shitty sat up. “Lardo, you so do!”

Lardo frowned. “I do?”

“We are sitting in the living room of a Professional. Fucking. Athlete. Live and in the flesh.” Shitty leaned over and grabbed Jack’s bicep. “Have you not noticed what has happened to this handsome fucker’s body over the past few months? This Adonis is perfect to be your Superman.”

Bitty grinned. “Oh, Lardo, he really is! You should see him with no clothes on!”

Jack buried his head in his hands. “I’m sitting right here,” he mumbled.

“Oh come on, you guys,” Lardo snorted. “Of all the people I know, Jack is probably the least likely to take his clothes off for art. Maybe my Great-Aunt Mabel, then Jack.” She punched Jack’s shoulder lightly. “I love you, bro, but you are a square. Getting naked in front of people is not your bag, and I respect that.”

“Lardo,” Jack said slowly, “has it ever occurred to you that I’ve been in locker rooms nearly every day since I could tie my own skates?”

Lardo frowned. “Yeah? So?”

“So, that’s a whole lot of being naked in front of people.”

“That’s different, though, isn’t it?” Lardo looked thoughtful.

“Not really,” Bitty said. “I mean, there’s kind of sexual naked, and then there’s everything else naked. Being drawn is everything else naked. So is the locker room.”

Lardo looked at Jack. “Are you saying you’ll pose for me?” Her eyebrows lifted nearly to her hairline. “Because Shitty’s right--your body is ideal.”

“Tell me about it,” Bitty said, nodding sagely.

“I will absolutely pose for you,” Jack confirmed. “Tomorrow. Right now, I think we all need to go to bed before I fall asleep on this floor. One of us played a hockey game tonight.”

* * *

 

Jack had barely finished breakfast (brunch, really--they were up late!) when Lardo jumped up and pointed at him. “OK! Get naked!”

“No foreplay at all, huh?” Shitty asked, grinning and reaching for the coffee pot to pour himself another cup.

“Is this gonna be an audience participation thing?” Jack asked, suddenly aware that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. He turned to Bitty. “Did you have an audience?”

Bitty grinned. “Nope. But you’re used to locker rooms, right? Besides, Shitty’s seen you naked before.” He blushed a little. “And I see you naked all the time.”

Jack grimaced and turned back toward Lardo. “OK, boss. What do you want me to do?”

It was awkward. Shitty was sitting on the couch with a thick law book, but seemed much more interested in giving stage direction than studying. Bitty was baking, but every time Jack looked over, he was standing in the kitchen doorway with his eyes on Jack. The only one who didn’t seem to be paying much attention to his discomfort was Lardo, who was completely focused on her sketchbook.

“Lift up that giant ham of a leg a little, Zimmermann,” Shitty instructed. “Let Lardo see what’s underneath there. What’s that muscle even called?”

“I hate you,” Jack gritted, trying to talk without moving. “You are a plague.”

Focused on his own discomfort, it took Jack a while to realize that Bitty didn’t seem comfortable, either. He wasn’t humming or singing as he baked, his motions oddly economical. He wasn’t joining in Shitty’s teasing or defending Jack’s honor. He was quiet.

Finally, Lardo announced she was done, pushing her sketchbook toward Shitty before Jack was even back into his shorts. “This is perfect, Jack!” she said. “Thank you!”

Wiping off his hands, Bitty came over to peer over the back of the couch. Unlike the drawings Lardo did of him, she’d focused on a single picture of Jack, much more detailed. It showed his body from head to knees, his face only roughed in, the most work focused on the muscles of his chest and legs. Jack looked at it appraisingly. He recognized it as himself, as the same body he saw in the mirror, but thought it was more attractive this way, in Lardo’s charcoaled lines.

“Looking pretty good, Jackie!” Shitty said with a low whistle. “Lucky I’m so secure, or I might be jealous.”

Jack laughed and noogied Shitty’s head over the back of the couch. “Lucky,” he agreed. “What do you think, Bits?”

Jack only saw it for a second, but he thought Bitty’s mouth was pursed before he smiled thinly. “You’re always gorgeous, honey,” he said. “Really nice work, Lards.” Then he turned and went back toward the kitchen.

Lardo flipped the sketchbook closed. “Thanks again, Jack. You saved my ass. I can definitely finish this project now. Without throwing myself on the mercy of the lacrosse team.”

“Fuck lax bros,” Jack and Shitty said, voices in solemn unison.

* * *

 

After Shitty and Lardo left, Jack and Bitty had a night alone before Bitty had to head back to Samwell. They lounged on the sofa, watching a movie they’d both seen before. Bitty had remained quiet through the afternoon, not seeming angry, but a bit reserved.

“Is something going on, Bits?” Jack finally asked. It was hard, asking. It went against his natural inclination to remain quiet and see what happened. But they’d promised each other to keep working on their communication, and Jack was dedicated to doing that.

Bitty sighed. “No, darlin’. I just…” he trailed off. “This is another one of those stupid things, OK?”

Jack nodded. “Stupid is allowed.” He moved closer to where Bitty sat on the couch. Bitty seemed to find opening up easier if he could feel Jack, but not necessarily meet his eyes. Jack lowered his head to Bitty’s shoulder and waited.

“It’s about Lardo drawing you, I guess,” Bitty said. “I didn’t expect to think anything of it--I mean, it’s not like she’s going to put pictures of you on the Internet or anything.”

“But?” Jack prompted.

“But I didn’t like it,” Bitty admitted. “I...I guess I just worry about how much of you is out there, in the world. And how that might hurt you.”

“I’m not sure what you mean?” Jack would have liked to raise his head, to look into Bitty’s face for more information, but he forced himself to remain as he was. “What’s going to hurt me?”

Bitty sighed. “It’s like that Tyler Seguin magazine, right? Anybody who buys it gets to see him, gets to think they know what it’s like to...to be with him. And I hate thinking that people do that with you.” Bitty’s hands were in his lap and he knotted them together. “I know it’s not...I know it’s insecurity, or whatever. But I want to be the only one who gets to know what you look like naked.”

Jack smiled into Bitty’s shoulder. “You are, bud. Lardo just wanted a body. Her drawings aren’t going to look anything like me by the time she’s done.”

“I know. It just made me think, is all.” Bitty was quiet for so long that Jack thought he might be finished talking, but then he started again. “Because of what you do, people think they own your body, you know? I mean, how long until you do a Body Issue?”

Jack chuckled. “Nobody can make me do a Body Issue. I probably wouldn’t even be asked. But if I were, I could say no.”

“If not that, then something else,” Bitty insisted. “Do you know there are pictures on the Internet every time you get interviewed in your Under Armor? People circle your nipples!”

Jack shuddered. “That’s...fairly creepy. But it’s part of the job. That’s got nothing to do with me, really.” Unable to stop himself, he raised his head and met Bitty’s eyes. “They don’t own me, Bits. They see a tiny sliver of me, and extrapolate from there. It’s not real. And most people know that.” He thought for a moment. “It’s like Tyler Seguin, right? I know Tyler Seguin. I’ve known him since we were twelve. That guy in those pictures is not him. It’s what people want him to be--the photographers, the editors, the fans. I’d bet whomever Tyler is with could look at those pictures and they’d barely recognize him.”

Bitty tilted his body forward so he could lean his head against Jack’s chest. “Are you saying those aren’t his real abs?” There was a tentative laugh in his voice.

Jack sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, those ARE his real abs.” He dug a teasing finger into Bitty’s ribs. “Is that why you kept the magazine? Should I feel threatened?”

Bitty groaned.

* * *

 

They were in bed when it came up again. Bitty was once again lying with his head on Jack’s chest, and Jack’s fingers stroked lightly down the column of his spine. “Bits,” he said, voice soft in the dark. “You know it’s just you, right? Everybody else can see whatever they want to see, but when you look at me, you see who I am. And I love that. I want...I want that from just you.”

Jack felt Bitty’s mouth move against his skin when Bitty spoke. “I know. I’m trying not to be jealous, you know, of the fans and the team and the press and all of that. I’m trying not to act like I own you.”

“I don’t mind,” Jack said, realizing it was true even as he said it. “I just don’t want you to be upset.” He sighed. “I wish this job was just playing hockey. I wish I could just play hockey, and people could watch, and nobody would care about the rest of it. But it’s never going to be like that, so the other stuff...we just have to figure out ways to be OK with it.” He stroked Bitty’s hair. “Can you be OK with it?”

Bitty nodded against his chest. “Of course.” He leaned up for a brief kiss. “How weird was that for you, today? You looked so uncomfortable!”

Jack laughed. “Really weird. I don’t think it would have been if it was just Lardo, but with you and Shits there…” He paused. “Mostly with you there, I think. Being naked around you is...not like locker room naked.”

Bitty smiled. “Probably a good thing we don’t share a locker room anymore, Captain.”

Jack snorted. “Probably. All kinds of inappropriate behavior.” He kissed Bitty again, less briefly this time. “I can’t believe I kept my eyes to myself the first time. Or you did.”

“Who says I did?” Bitty chased Jack’s mouth this time, and the kiss was deeper, hotter. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck and pulled him closer. “Maybe you were in the corner of my eye all the time, just like today.”

Jack shivered. He’d long become so used to locker room nudity that it never would have phased him, even if he’d admitted to himself how attracted he was to Bitty while they were still playing together. Still, the thought never failed to heat him up. “I like you having your eye on me,” he said, the words punctuated by his lips against Bitty’s.

* * *

 

It was the next morning before Bitty asked the other question that had been on his mind. They were sitting at the table, finishing breakfast, their legs intertwined. “Hey, Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think Tyler Seguin minds? Does it bug him that people have his Body Issue and can see him like that?”

Jack snorted. “If I were you, I would not waste a single minute feeling guilty about that. I am positive that Tyler Seguin loves it. He took those pictures hoping he’d be hidden under someone’s mattress for eternity.”

Bitty chuckled. After a moment, he spoke again. “Hey, Jack?”

“Hmm?”

“Your Body Issue would be better.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the rest of my fic here at [Archive of Our Own](http://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeWithConsequences/works)!


End file.
